LWL Learning Territory: Fall 2013 Edition

A Community of Care

Safety Patrol, family engagement embody evolution of community building at LWL

One morning in January, just before the start of the school day, a car sat double-parked in front of Learning Without Limits. Not out of the ordinary in the rush of parents dropping off students for school. But when the car began to roll backwards down the hill – with no driver behind the wheel – things were quickly and dangerously no longer typical.

LWL Safety Patrol members line up for duty

Immediately, six parents, along with Positive Climate Coach E.W. Wainwright, rushed into the street and literally held the car from rolling any further downhill. Just at that moment, 4th-grade teacher Manny Herrera drove his car up behind the vehicle, stopping it for good, fender to bumper. After calling AAA, Herrera made it back to his classroom in time to start the morning with his students.

"That display of heroism on the part of our parents and teachers was so great to see," recalls Principal Leo Fuchs. Moments like this, he says, are representative of "a creation of community" that embodies these words in the Learning Without Limits vision: We grow into leaders who are passionate and care about making our world better.

Inspired by that incident, students got into the act as well, founding the first LWL Safety Patrol (pictured above), whose members are out in front of the building every morning. As one Patrol leader says, "It feels great to be on the Safety Patrol because we get to keep other kids safe. It's important for us to look out for each other." For their valor, the Safety Patrol recently was awarded a trophy by the Oakland Police Department.

As with so many efforts at LWL, the Safety Patrol is supported by families, with Maria Sanchez (mother of then 5th-grader Lian) leading the way. Families have become even more deeply involved this year, particularly through our Family Leadership Committee, which meets weekly to discuss the issues most critical to them and the school. "They're all there together at the parent level, supporting each other and giving important feedback that helps our school community evolve and support our students' learning in the most positive way," says Fuchs. "What an amazing family LWL is and has become." 

Blended Learning Pilot Steers LWL Into Future

As Learning Without Limits students are well aware, technology is not going anywhere. Or, probably more accurately, it's going everywhere. And it's clearly here to stay, on LWL's campus. Through a new Blended Learning initiative, LWL staff and students are harnessing computer-based learning to accelerate both Math and English Language Arts achievement.

Blended Learning in action at LWL

Piloted last year in the 4th- and 5th-grade classrooms of Ryan Kiesel, Tess O'Brien, and Manny Herrera – and with the support our technology lead Alix Black – Blended Learning unites online assessments and lessons with traditional teaching to make instruction both personalized and data-driven, to maximize small-group teaching, and to boost students' ownership of their learning.

After scouting Blended Learning programs at other Bay Area schools, last March Herrera and staff launched a version that best suits LWL. It works like this: After teaching the entire classroom a specific lesson for 15 minutes, all the students call up an "exit ticket" (or assessment) on their laptops. (Herrera's room is now outfitted with a laptop per student.)

In the days of paper and pencil assessments, students' mastery (or lack of it) might not be known until, at the earliest, the end of the school day, when a teacher had the time to look through them. But with Blended Learning, Herrera can see where each student stands on the skill being tested, immediately after they've completed the exit ticket. Herrera is also able to show the entire class the percentage of students who performed well, which creates a team-like culture in the room.

Those who ace the skill go on to use the adaptive software, which meets each student at their level and allows them to access increasingly challenging material. While this personalized, independent work is going on, Herrera is able to work directly with very small groups of students, "reteaching" the skill based on their specific misunderstanding of the material. 

This real-time assessment and targeted teaching, says Herrera, is "what's really powerful about Blended Learning. This way, I'm able to figure it all out, right there in the moment, and deliver individualized support to the students who need it. And for the kids who master the skill right away, they are able to use the adaptive software and are being challenged at a rate that wasn't possible before." After this step, students then take a second exit ticket to reassess their knowledge of the skill being taught. "It's exciting when we get to see our [collective] score the second time," explains 4th-grader Dominic. "When we do well, like 80 percent or higher, everyone is like, 'Yes!!' We're all proud, and it motivates us to do well again the next time."

Dominic and his classmate Jennifer don't usually improve from one exit to ticket to the next — but this is because they regularly get it right the first time. They both appreciate the adaptive software that then allows them to advance through more challenging lessons. "I like that you can just go faster and faster through things," explains Jennifer. "You go up through each level and the program keeps challenging you to do better and better."

The kids also understand the importance of using technology in general, when they think down the road. "It's important for us to use technology," says Dominic, "because if you don't know how to do some of this stuff in the future, you might not be able to move on in life. Understanding technology can help us do better in college and get jobs we really want to get."

As for the future of Blended Learning at LWL, Herrera and other staff are eager to take this model and move it into other grades, starting with 2nd and 3rd grade, then on into kindergarten and 1st grade. Also, he says, "We want to move toward kids not just consuming technology, but being producers, using higher levels of technology to show their learning through PowerPoint, video, and other advanced tools."

Blended Learning at Home
Students can now use adaptive software online for extra practice! Families, visit www.lwlelementary.org and click the "LWL LAUNCH PAGE" link under the "Students & Families" tab. 

Support Learning Without Limits!

In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, funding ambitious initiatives like Blended Learning requires equally ambitious fundraising.

You can help! Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our technology-based Blended Learning and other key programs at LWL. You can donate online at www.lwlelementary.org or by mail to: "OSF/LWL," PO Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602. Thank you!

You can download a printable PDF of this newsletter here. 

The Elmhurst Beat: Fall 2013

Opportunities Abound: Apprenticeships Expand and Evolve at Elmhurst

“When you first open something up, it makes you more interested.”

7th-grader Silia is talking literally – about dissecting a frog – but taken more broadly, her statement could just as easily describe Elmhurst Community Prep’s entire Citizen Schools Apprenticeship program. When presented with new opportunities, students immerse themselves in those new experiences.

Such was the case with Dr. Gina Westhoff’s “Dissect Like a Doctor” apprenticeship. An oncologist at Stanford University, Westhoff brought both her medical expertise and a middle-school teacher background to the class, giving students the chance to dissect a flower, an earthworm, a frog, and a fetal pig. They even learned surgical techniques, performing an actual suture on a pig’s foot.

“I really wanted to frame this as a serious medical apprenticeship,” explains Westhoff. “In med school, you take the Hippocratic Oath when you graduate. We had each kid read the Oath on the first day and put on a lab coat to introduce them to our mini-profession, as student doctors.” As 7th-grader Julio puts it, “We actually got to go and do what real doctors do. Once we learned the basics, we got more and more into it.”
 

The truly hands-on – or “hands in!” as one student said – nature of the lessons left a deep impression. “By dissecting animals like a frog or fetal pig, you really get to learn, up close, about animal and human anatomy in a new way,” says 7th-grader Nicole.
 

The experience also had a compassionate effect on the kids. “Seeing their organs, you realize animals are so similar to us,” says Julio. “So we could relate to the animals.” Silia takes it a step further: “I want to become a veterinarian now!”
 

“Dr. Westhoff is a great teacher,” says 7th-grader Josue. “She makes the lessons so fun. This apprenticeship also helped us cooperate with others and share our ideas and philosophies.” 

“The apprenticeship was such a great opportunity for me to interact with kids and show them what I love,” says Westhoff. “Seeing their excitement and energy makes me feel like I’m doing something right and something good. Science can be really powerful, because students get to take ownership of their learning through hands-on, real-world experience. This has been a great way to get kids engaged in science and biology and highlight careers in medicine.”
 

The young scientists have clearly thought that far down the road. “If you get into a college class or career that has to do with dissecting or understanding organs,” reflects Julio, “we won’t be nervous because we already know a lot." 

"Our Drills Will Knock You Out!"

“Our Citizen Schools apprenticeships focused on a range of enrichment and acceleration,” says Principal Kilian Betlach. “We had students being taught science by a Stanford doctor, and then within our closer community, we had a student’s auntie teach our Drill Team.”

“It was my niece [6th-grader Ashanique] who got me into this,” says Drill Team Leader Shanisha Matlock. “It felt great that she thought of me to come in and teach something at her school.”

During Elmhurst’s spring WOW! event, Matlock’s troupe provided the dramatic finale to an evening of amazing performances, from a rendition of Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” to a student-led fashion show. Filing onto the stage in perfectly disciplined fashion, the team did not disappoint the standing-room only audience.

“We scream, we shout, our drills will knock you out!” the students exclaimed in unison, with Matlock directing from in front of the stage. “It felt amazing to see them onstage performing,” reflects Matlock. “It felt so good to be able to teach them something and watch them show me – and the audience – exactly how it’s done. They did great, and they were so proud to hear everybody cheering and screaming.”

“I was nervous at first because there were so many people in the crowd,” says 6th-grade Drill Team member Lanesha, who was also co-emcee for the entire WOW! event. “But we knew we had practiced so much with Ms. Shanisha that we didn’t need to feel nervous anymore. We showed a lot of unity onstage, followed her directions, never gave up on each other, and performed as a team.

Blended Learning Debuts

While technology has always been a focus at ECP, the school continues to break new ground with the ways students are learning and demonstrating understanding. Elmhurst was one of just two OUSD middle schools selected to participate in the Rogers Family Foundation Blending Learning Pilot. Here, ECP students and staff use online tools like Achieve3000, Khan Academy, and Manage High to personalize their learning and raise achievement. In English class, students use Google Docs to share and edit their essays; in History, they participate in online simulations and role-playing games to deepen their knowledge of the Colonial period and the Civil War; in Math, students are able to complete activities that are targeted for just what they need to practice.

This year, almost half of ECP’s classes — including the entire 8th grade — will feature technology integration as a key component of our instructional program. We are working to guarantee at least one Chromebook for every two students, so that teachers can differentiate curriculum and students can rapidly improve their knowledge and skills. “We believe the use of technology is a key part of closing the opportunity gap and preparing young people for college and career,” says principal Kilian Betlach.

Support Our Scholars!

In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, public schools like ours must appeal to the wider community for support. Science is just one area where we could use more resources. “Science can be hard to fund at schools,” says “Dissect Like a Doctor” volunteer Gina Westhoff. “That means really good hands-on classes are hard to come by. For that reason, kids aren’t always able to see how science relates to the real world or what it would look like if they wanted to pursue it. Given hands-on experience in middle school, they may look to science as something to pursue in the future.”

To help give our students the resources they deserve – like hands-on science tools and materials – please consider a tax-deductible donation online at
www.elmhurstcommunityprep.org or by mail: “OSF/Elmhurst,” P.O. Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602.
 

Thank you!

From the Harte: The Newsletter of Bret Harte Middle School

Every Student Deserves a Place
Gay-Straight Alliance ahead of the curve at Bret Harte

Respect – one of Bret Harte's core values alongside "resilience" and "hard work" – is a word you will hear leaders of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) use again and again. "I joined the Gay-Straight Alliance because I feel like every student deserves a place to feel welcome and equal and respected," says 6th-grader Sylvia, a member of the GSA leadership team. (Sylvia is pictured at right with fellow GSA leaders Ruby and Sonia.)

"Here, kids don’t have to feel scared of being laughed at or teased – they can just be themselves."

The group, founded in 2012-13 with the help of 7th-grade English and History Teacher Phoebe Gilpinwright, meets once a week, with 15-25 students at eachmeeting. "So much happening in kids' lives at this age is complicated, and school can either be place of relief from that, or add to the pressure,” says Gilpinwright. "Students here thought the GSA could be a safe and positive space for students to talk about issues, discuss the different ways people identify, and focus on how to mitigate bullying."

One of the group's goals is to understand – and in some cases change – the vocabulary around gender identity and sexual orientation. For starters, they are working to erase the word "gay" as a term used to describe something students don't like. The group also recently made wristbands bearing the words "support," "love," and "unique," and created an educational flier using words like "strong, athletic, gay" to describe NBA player Jason Collins after he came out.

"We wanted to make the statement that Collins is all these things he’s expected to be as a male athlete – and he’s also gay," explains 6th-grader and GSA copresident Ruby.
 
Slowly but surely, Gilpinwright says, the group is making a difference. "A lot more students are aware now, and for many, just knowing there is a GSA on campus has helped them feel safer at school."

"I think it's sad that most middle schools don't have a group like this," says Ruby. "It's the 21st century and people still have trouble accepting people for who they are. But I'm really proud that we have one here, because if someone decides to come out at some point, they need to have had some influence in their life [like the GSA] that lets them know there are people who support them, lets them know they are not alone."

"Having a Gay-Straight Alliance is important because for a lot of people middle school is when they discover who they are or who they want to be," says 6th-grader and GSA co-president Sonia. "I hope that we pave the way for other middle schools, that it can be like a chain reaction."

"There’s a lot of prejudice out in the world," says Ruby, "and I think groups like ours can change this. That's one thing we’re here to do, to change these prejudices from the inside out."

From Mozart to Ellington to the Beatles
Bret Harte musicians honing their craft in the practice room and on stage

Walk the Bret Harte campus at almost any hour of the school day, and you’re bound to catch the strains of song drifting from Music Teacher Duane Worm’s room. It might be the roll of a drum kicking off a Count Basie number, or a trio of violins channeling Bach. Whatever the tune, students are always making music here.

And for 21 years, it’s been Worm teaching them. During his tenure, Worm has seen it all, from the "roller coaster" of state music funding to students who've gone to become professional traveling musicians. But one constant has been kids' passion for music. "Music is hands-on training," he explains, 'a kind of craftsmanship, and students are always looking for that."

To feed their enthusiasm, Worm hosts a range of ensembles including orchestra, strings, advanced band, and jazz band. (21 years ago, Worm founded Oakland’s first middle school jazz band here.) He teaches virtually every instrument, with students taking up cello, string bass, trombone, flute, saxophone, percussion, and more. They learn to play "every kind of style you can think of," from classical to jazz to pop (they are known to perform the occasional Beatles song).

"Mr. Worm has a way of teaching the basics, then depending on us you to work in it yourself and build independence," explains 6th-grade clarinetist Ariella. "He makes it interesting because he doesn't just do the cold hard facts. Instead, he always brings a good humor to his teaching."

8th-grade violinists Jessie and Tyler agree. "Mr. Worm is a great person," says Jessie. "He's really funny and as you get to know him you learn he’s really cool."

Mozart is among the composers whose pieces Bret Harte musicians perform publicly. Not only do the kids play at assemblies and other on-campus events, but they also travel to Oakland Tech, Skyline, and other venues. Playing out helps the kids build confidence and a sense of unity. During performances, Ariella says, "We find ourselves depending on each other, and it's a lot of fun sharing what we've learned with the audience. Mr. Worm sets it up so that we start out with a piece we're really good at, to build our confidence, then later we blow people away with a more intense piece."

Mr. Worm's students recognize the value of having opportunities to perform – and simply having music class at all. "Music is important because it can help you relax," says Tyler. "It's soothing and a good way to get your brain to start off or end the day. You can just be relaxed for a while and have fun for that time."
"I think all of the electives we have – like music, Spanish, leadership, journalism -- are very important," adds Ariella. "They're a way to get your mind thinking differently, compared to all our academic classes. They can really help us build our creativity and start thinking about what we’re going to do in the future."

Connect With Bret Harte!

In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, public schools like Bret Harte must fundraise to continue offering outstanding programs like our arts electives. We hope you will consider a tax-deductible donation online at www.ousd.k12.ca.us/bretharte or by mail to: "OSF/Bret Harte," PO Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602.

Interested in enrolling your child at Bret Harte? Please contact the Student Assignment Office at 510-273-1600. We also invite you to visit our campus! Call 510-531-6400 to set up a tour. 

Community Voice: The Newsletter of Manzanita Community School (Summer 2013 Edition)

Library Inspires Culture of Reading on Campus

A proud reader in the MCS Library

When Renae Wilber arrives at 8 AM to open the Manzanita Community School library, kids are already there waiting. When she walks the halls throughout the day, students rush up to ask when the latest installment of Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be available. And even when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she's still in the role of school librarian. "Sometimes," Wilber says, "I'll wake up at 4 AM thinking, 'I know where I can find that book a student asked me about!'"

Wilber would have it no other way. "These kids mean so much to me," she says. "I'm so grateful to be here at Manzanita Community School and have this opportunity to support our students' love for reading."

"You never know what you're going to experience when you read a book," says 3rd-grader Jasmine, "and we have so many to choose from now. Ms. Renae helps us find the ones we like."

"Ms. Renae's awesome," concurs 3rd-grader Damani. "She picks out wonderful books for us. It's important for us to read a lot so we can learn different things in different books and take our reading levels higher and higher."

MCS students enjoying their favorite book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid

When asked about what kind of stories they would write, if they were authors, 3rd-grader Kevin has this to share: "The heroes of my story would be Ms. Renae, my teacher Ms. Lucas, and our principal, Ms. Spencer. I'm saying this because they all work hard every day to help us be better students."

Wilber loves the way students have taken ownership of their learning in the library. "On Day one, I told them, 'This is your library," she says, "and they took me at my word and just ran with it. They're so grateful for the library and this shows in how compassionately they act, sharing books and helping each other. I feel so honored to be a part of this library and this school!"

Touring the World a Classroom at a Time

Every year on Passport Day, Manzanita Community School becomes Manzanita Community World, with every classroom transforming into a different country, from Thailand to Scotland to Afghanistan to South Africa (to name just a few!).

Students become both travelers and hosts, moving from room to room and immersing themselves in the culture, cuisine, art, and attire unique to the countries recreated by each class. The school's elders, our 4th- and 5th-graders, assume the role of tour guides and "passport agents," giving them the responsibility of looking after younger students. "Taking responsibility for the younger kids is a great leadership opportunity for our older students," says Manzanita Community School teacher Allison Stormont. "We see older kids helping kindergarteners find their backpacks or jackets and walking them to the bathroom. It's great for community building."

"I was a helper this year," says 5th-grader Benjamin. "It was kind of hard -- you can see what it's like to be a teacher!"

"It's rewarding for us to see kids so engaged," reflects Stormont. "They get really excited by the countries they learn about, and talk about wanting to visit them when they're older. They become a little more worldly, that's really our hope."

In Afghanistan during Passport Day

"We get to go to places and learn about other countries like Egypt and Ghana," says 3rd-grader Makalah. "In Canada," says 3rd-grader Josiah, "we learned about a painter and I really liked his paintings because they were like Kandinsky."

"It's good because when you grow up and want to visit these other countries, you'll already know a little about them," explains Makalah. "Also, it can help you get to know other kids at our school who might be from the countries we visit on Passport Day."

At the end of their world tour, every student's passport book is full of stamps, and their "luggage" is filled with regional arts and craft pieces they made in different rooms. For students like Benjamin, the annual tradition sticks with them and is one they won't soon forget. "I've been to six Passport Days now, ever since I was a kindergartener! I've visited so many countries, and I'm really glad our school has Passport Day every year."

Students visiting China on Passport Day

Support Our Young Readers and Travelers!

In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, public schools like ours must raise money to continue giving our students the opportunities they deserve, such as a fully stocked library and materials to host events like Passport Day.

Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our programs!

You can donate online here (designating "Manzanita Community School") or by mail to: "OSF/MCS," PO Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602.

Thank you for your support!

The Ascend Voice, Summer 2013

Chew on This: ASCEND Students Explore Food Industry

As covered in previous ASCEND Voice editions, healthy and responsible eating have been a hallmark on our campus through the years, from our students' love for the ASCEND garden to their field trip tours of sustainable urban gardens and farmers markets. This past semester, through their "Chew on This" learning expedition, our 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-graders wrote the latest chapter on this theme.

"Students used Eric Schlosser's Chew on This book as a starting point to engage in reading, writing, and discussion of food issues," says 8th-grade teacher Kate Linneman. "They explored the growth of the fast food industry, and the role of fast food in the growing use of factories, machines, and exploitation of both animals and people in food production."

Along with reading the book, students analyzed the advertising strategies that lure consumers into eating high-calorie, low-nutrition foods, including the way certain fast food ads target specific audiences – such as kids their age.

"We started to see how everything in the fast food industry is planned to get more customers and manipulate kids," explains 8th-grader Ivan. "They know how kids are going to react, and they make their ads to take advantage of that."

As the students' perspectives deepened throughout the unit, they took on projects to demonstrate their learning. 6th-graders created public service announcements, 7th-graders made a model McDonald's counter where they served not food but alarming information about the industry, and 8th-graders filmed satirical commercials.

"People need to know everything that's going on," says 8th-grader Jessica, "because it's not what it looks like in the commercials. We need to be educating our peers and other middle school students about what they're really eating and where it comes from."

"We learned," says 7th-grader Yahaira, "that companies sometimes use ammonia to kill the E. coli in meat. That's the same stuff you use to clean your bathroom."

"We also investigated how the some meatpacking companies treat their workers," says 7th-grader Hilda, "paying them low wages in unsafe conditions."

At ASCEND's Spring Expo, students had the opportunity to share these projects with their families, other students, and community members, explaining the impact this expedition had on them while passing along their newfound wisdom and perspective on the food industry. All told, Linneman says, "We really saw some of the ideas coming out in how they talk about fast food, and in their actual eating habits."

"My opinion about fast food and [food production] definitely changed," says 7th-grader Ameyali. "Now I think about how the animals are treated, and how companies treat their workers."

"Everything about fast food and the fast food companies is pretty nasty," says Jessica. "I just don't want to buy it or eat it anymore."

"By the time it gets to your plate," Ivan adds, "it's just not normal food anymore — it's a bunch of chemicals. It's really important for everyone to be educated on that, about what exactly you're eating. If I were thinking up a true tagline to describe fast food in an ad, I'd use: fast food, fast death."

7th- and 8th-graders Hilda, Yahaira, Ameyali, Ivan, and Jessica

Blended Learning Finds Its Footing at ASCEND

Technology-based learning has long been a mainstay on our campus, with students producing their own videos for Expo, creating personal history podcasts, using Google Docs, and more. In that spirit, we have begun piloting Blended Learning at ASCEND.

Blended Learning unites online assessments and lessons with traditional teaching to make instruction both personalized and data-driven, maximize small-group teaching, and boost students' ownership of their learning. While groups of students use online "adaptive software" that adapts to their level of learning and challenges them, teachers are able to work directly with small groups of kids who might be struggling with specific skills.

"Instead of teaching a one size fits all lesson that leaves some students unchallenged and others too challenged," says 1st-grade teacher Jayson Welden, "Blended Learning lets me teach to every students specific needs. At the same time, other students are working independently, and still being pushed rigorously."

Support ASCEND!

As a public school in California — a state near the bottom in per-student spending, nationally — ASCEND must reach out to the wider community for financial support. We hope you will consider a tax-deductible donation supporting initiatives like our technology-based Blended Learning program as we look ahead to the coming school year.

You can visit www.ascendk8.org to donate online, or you can contribute by check to: "OSF/ASCEND," PO Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602. Thank you!

Sankofa Reflections, Summer 2013

"We are arriving..." 

Sankofa Continues Ambitious Expansion

Standing in the recently painted hallway as Sankofa Academy’s first class of 6th-graders passes by and its Pre-K students rush to recess on the redesigned playground, Principal Monique Brinson takes in the scene before capturing the school’s commitment to continuous improvement in a few short words: “We are arriving.”

Student Council Vice President Mikylah and President Phillip,
both members of Sankofa’s first 6th-grade class

It is this mix of pride and humility — and a nod to the work yet to be done — that continues to define Sankofa. As the campus evolves and grows to become a Pre-K-8, the school community constantly looks to the present and past for cues, staying true to the meaning of the Sankofa name: “to return and fetch it,” to reclaim the past in order to move forward.
 

“The adults in our school community are my eyes and ears,” says Brinson. “Through the dedication of our family leaders, classroom teachers, Teachers on Special Assignment (TSAs), and other school staff, we are becoming the village that takes care of our children.” 

Sankofa is also respecting the small-school roots that shaped its culture and helped boost student achievement. Staff has capped class sizes at 25 wherever possible, and has stayed true to the philosophy of individualized attention for students, with one-on-one support offered by on-site staff as well as outside partners like Lincoln Child Center (LCC) and Project SEED, UC Berkeley’s Sage Mentors and UC Build, Experience Corps, and Temple Sinai volunteers.

6th-Grade Youth Elders Lead the Way

While a unified vision and positive momentum are felt across all grades at Sankofa, the school’s first group of 6th-graders has stepped up to lead the way. “Last year’s 5th-graders became this 6th-grade class of leaders,” Brinson says, echoing this newsletter’s theme of “arrival” and growth. “They are our legacy class, and I’m so proud of how they’ve become the youth elders in our community.”

6th-grader Adam embodies this spirit in a number of ways. Academically, he is on the Sankofa Honor Roll and in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program. He is also clearly a peer leader and role model for other students. When a class of 3rd-graders filed past Adam during his interview for this newsletter, nearly every student greeted him with “Good luck, Adam!” They all knew he was scheduled to represent Sankofa at the Alameda County Spelling Bee the next day. 

6th-grade student leader Adam

“It feels great being a youth leader and Sankofa elder because the younger kids look up to you,” Adam explains. “Whenever I’m on the yard with them, they’re always like ‘Adam, Adam, can you help me with this, can you play with me?’ And I love to do it because I like children, they’re so energetic it’s just fun to be around them and mentor them. You have to be trusted to really be a big part of Sankofa. We 6th-graders are leaders, and we choose that role ourselves by showing that trust.”

The genesis of Adam’s piece for the recent Oratorical Contest reflects the depth of his sensitivity and vision. The idea came to him around September 11, this past fall. As an African-American Muslim, he was attuned to the atmosphere of discrimination connected to the 9/11 anniversary. “I was thinking about this, and I got really sad,” Adam recalls. “So I thought of a solution. My thoughts were to make a poem and have my dad and family and everybody else listen to it. The poem is called ‘I Am an African,’ an original piece by me displaying African culture and saying we are here, we’re like you, we are all the same.”
 

After writing it, he shared the poem with Principal Brinson, “to see if it was good enough. She cried when she read it. It was amazing.” When Adam read the piece aloud before the entire school, “I was a little afraid. But once I let it out, everybody was happy that I was speaking up for every African and African-American that has been treated unfairly because of the skin they’re in.”
 

Adam’s free-time reading also reflects an ambition beyond his 6th-grade years. “My dad is a lawyer and political author, so has a lot of law books,” Adam says. “I like to read those and challenge myself because my dad always says, ‘I want my kids to be smart.’ He treats me like an adult, he’s real with me. He trusts me and, along with my mom, he’s the one who made me achieve all these things. I want to show the younger kids how much of a leader I am, as my dad is for me.”
 

When asked about the future of Sankofa, Adam lights up. “I hope we continue the success we’re having right now,” he says. “I mean, we’ve achieved so much. I feel as if we’re all connected, and I think that can happen to every child as long as they feel our spirit and our Sankofa pride.”

Academic Achievement Gains

  

This year, Sankofa moved more students into “Proficient” and “Advanced” (a 12.2 percentage-point increase) in English Language Arts (ELA) than any other school in the District. Overall, Sankofa’s Academic Performance Index (API) has increased 248 points since 2007! At 773 today, we are just shy of the state goal of 800.

Sankofa's steady API increase since 2007

As we continue to grow as a Pre-K-8 full-service community school, it is more critical than ever to sustain and build our programs, including the whole-child activities offered in our extended-day program. You can make a tax-deductible donation online or by mail to: “OSF/Sankofa,” PO Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602. Thank you for your support!
 

Interested in enrolling your child at Sankofa Academy? Call the Student Assignment Office at 510-273-1600. We also welcome you to tour our school. Call 510-654-7787 to set up a visit.

EnCompass Rising, Summer 2013

Owning Their Learning
EnCompass uses Science and Blended Learning pilots to personalize learning

Thorax, pupa, nocturnal, larva, exoskeleton. Within seconds of sitting down with EnCompass Academy 2nd-graders to talk about science, these are just some of the words they rattle off with confidence.
 

Thanks to a deep commitment to science this year, students across campus are talking, thinking, and acting like scientists. “We have more science than ever at EnCompass,” says Principal Minh-Tram Nguyen. “It’s been an amazing year of growth.” As an OUSD Science Cohort School, EnCompass staff got support from a District science coach, received science trainings, and increased Science planning time.

This boost, says Nguyen, not only helped the school offer more science learning – every grade gets much more science time than the District requires – but it has fueled the pursuit of two key parts of the EnCompass vision: “teaching to the whole child,” and “developing an active, reflective, and disciplined mind.”

“Students are using the academic vocabulary of science to ask each other questions, and then asserting scientific thinking through claims and evidence,” explains Nguyen. “That inquiry and investigation supports the ‘active mind.’ And their use of scientific language – through science notebooking and in conversation – connects to the ‘reflective and disciplined’ piece of our vision statement.” Nguyen says the students in Marlene Atwood’s class “took science talk and ran with it.”

2nd-grader Josue offers an example. “If we’re observing a darkling beetle and one dies, we have to have our evidence, and then make a claim about why the beetle died. For example, I might claim my darkling beetle died because of the evidence that it had laid all of its eggs, and they soon die after laying all their eggs.”

Josue’s classmate Mariajose goes on to explain their use of “compare and contrast” when looking at the life cycles of beetles versus humans, and offers a creative interpretation. “Beetles molt, and drop the exoskeleton that covers them. In a way, humans do the same thing: We change clothes when ours don’t fit us anymore.”

By engaging in this type of analysis and hands-on work, students are taking real ownership of their learning. Atwood puts it this way: “Science gives students the opportunity to make sense of the world around them. But to make this experience real and tangible to them, it needs to be taught as a total body experience, allowing children to use all of their senses. Hands-on science allows the students to become scientists discovering the world for themselves.”

“Learning this much science now, in 2nd grade, is going to help us later on because you might get a job as a scientist,” explains 2nd-grader Noel. “And in college, it will help us to know a lot of science already, because when we have to solve problems in class, we won’t just say, ‘I don’t know this, I guess I’ll just guess.’ Instead, we’ll really know the answer.”

Interacting with animals and insects all year has also instilled respect and sensitivity. “When you learn more about them, you care more about them,” says 2nd-grader Sarah. “Science helps us know more about animals so we can take care of them.”

2nd-grade scientists Josue, Noel, Mariajose, and Sarah

The Next Level: Blended Learning

EnCompass Academy is honored to be one of just two OUSD elementary schools taking part in the Rogers Family Foundation’s Blended Learning Pilot. While using technology is a big piece of this program, computers are a conduit for a larger vision.

“As we transition to the Common Core standards, we need to help our students adjust to a new way of thinking and applying knowledge using technology,” says Principal Nguyen. “The online math and reading content is motivating kids to improve by immediately and consistently letting each of them know what level they’ve reached in the progress toward their learning target. It’s a powerful shift.”

“EnCompass has embarked on an ambitious first-year implementation of blended learning that ultimately reached every single teacher and every single student,” shares Greg Klein, director of the Blended Learning Pilot. “Teachers and students used a variety of adaptive online programs to personalize the learning experience for each student. EnCompass teachers rose to the challenge, setting the stage for Year 2, where they can focus on going much deeper with the tools already in place.”

“Even in our early phase of piloting Blended Learning, our students now own their learning more across content areas,” says Nguyen. “They are choosing to use screen time to put their minds to work and become more engaged in the world, rather than the kids’ typical use of screen time to disconnect and escape from the present moment."

Support Our Young Scientists and Technologists!

In a state that spends roughly $3,000 less per student than the national average, public schools like ours must fundraise to continue offering our kids the science and technology resources they deserve. You can help!
 
Please consider a tax-deductible donation online (be sure to choose "EnCompass" in the PICK YOUR SCHOOL pull-down) or by mail to:
“OSF/EnCompass,” P.O. Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602. Thank you for supporting our ambitious students!